Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Menu
Middle
Cider
Right
Cheese
Eating and Drinking Tips
Menus
Most restaurants
have several set menus
(menu prix-fixe)
, as well
as
à la carte
, from which
you order separate dishes.
By law, menus must be
displayed outside the
restaurant. Set menus,
which may include wine,
are usually excellent
value, the cheapest often
costing as little as €7.00.
Water
Water is always
drunk with meals. Even
in up-market restaurants
it's acceptable to ask for
a
carafe d'eau
(jug of tap
water) rather than a
bottle of mineral water.
Vegetarians
Vegetarians are
poorly served in Norman
restaurants. Few offer
anything more than
salad, omelette or
cheese - soups almost
always contain meat
stock. However,
vegetarians catering for
themselves will find
mouth-watering fresh
fruit and vegetables,
delicious cheeses and a
wide variety of dairy
products. Fish-eaters will
have no problems,
especially on the coast.
Choosing Cheese
Cheese-makers apply
the same term as wine-
makers to their finest
products: AOC
(appellation
d'origine contrôlée)
. The
most famous Norman
cheeses - Camembert,
Livarot, Pont l'Evêque
and Neufchâtel - are all
AOC, but there are more
than 30 other types
made by local producers.
Regional Cuisine
The real French eating
experience is becoming
increasingly elusive; the
tinned, the frozen, the
bottled and the re-heated
are now far too common.
However, if you look
carefully and avoid tourist
traps, you will find in
Normandy a great deal of
honest cooking using
fresh local ingredients.
Famous regional dishes,
such as
teurgoule
and
poulet Vallée d'Auge (see
p54)
, hold sway, and
even go-ahead young
chefs base their creations
on classic Norman dishes.
When choosing a restau-
rant, don't be seduced by
a picturesque building;
look at the menu first.
Cafés and Bars
There's not much to
choose in Normandy
between establishments
calling themselves cafés
and those which call
themselves bars. All
serve alcoholic drinks
and coffee all day, and
most serve simple
snacks such as ham,
cheese or salami
sandwiches and perhaps
a slice of apple tart.
Village cafés usually
close around 8pm; city
and resort café-bars stay
open much later.
Bloody, Rare or
Well-done
If you like your steak well
done, order it
bien cuit
;
medium,
à point
; rare,
saignant
(bleeding); very
rare,
bleu
(blue).
Picnics
Like all French people,
the Normans love a picnic,
so when you plan an al-
fresco lunch at the beach
or in the country, you will
be spoilt for choice.
Boulangeries
(bakeries)
and
pâtisseries
(pastry
shops) offer a wonderful
selection of loaves,
pastries, and sweet and
savoury tarts. Markets
are another good source,
with artisan food pro-
ducers selling farm-made
cheeses,
andouilles
,
terrines,
tartes aux
pommes
,
teurgoules
, and
locally produced cider.
Bills and Tipping
In cafés, the bill for
each drink is brought to
your table with your
order, but there is no
need to pay until you
leave. A small tip is
customary. In restaurants,
menu prices normally
include the tip; an extra
5 to 10 per cent gratuity
for good service is
optional
(see p119)
.
Wine and Cider
Normandy is too
fertile for the grape; any
wine you drink will be
from another region of
France. Cider is often
preferred as the best
accompaniment to the
rich and creamy regional
cuisine. Most cider is
sold in a corked bottle
(
cidre bouché
).
120
